While growing up in Cuba, Gonzalez would catch wild songbirds with his father. He received his first pet canary from his parents shortly after moving to the United States. While working in the Long Beach Public Library, he devoured every book that he could find on parrots and other exotic birds.

But when he purchased an imported blue and gold macaw in the early '80s, Gonzalez quickly realized there were serious problems in the exotic bird industry. Disease was common among birds in local pet shops, he said, and unethical taming practices placed tremendous stress on the animals.

Gonzalez's macaw quickly died because of a stress-induced illness.

“It was devastating, and that's one of the reasons we were thinking we need to do things right,” Gonzalez said.

Shortly after, Gonzalez and his wife at the time began selling imported birds at local swap meets. Things went well.

Now 52, Gonzalez owns three Omar's Exotic Birds locations in Southern California, including one in Brea on Imperial Highway. There is a franchised shop in San Diego. And he runs a 17-acre breeding facility at his home in San Diego County; he said he has hundreds of birds there.

“I don't see myself as very big right now,” Gonzalez said. “I'm a workaholic … but I don't see myself as a big conglomerate.”

In order to avoid the spread of disease in his bird population, Gonzalez breeds his parrots in-house and buys from trusted breeders.

“Parrots are actually pretty hardy,” he said. “The only way they are going to catch a disease is from another bird.”

Because of strict laws enacted in the late 1990s limiting the importation of exotic birds, breeding is the main option for bird sellers. This significantly increases the cost of the birds because of the labor and time involved. Some species of parrots cannot produce offspring until they are 5 years old.

California law requires bird shops to hold animals until they can eat without the help of a human. Baby parrots must be hand-fed for as long as six months before they can be sold legally.

“I don't know that there is a lot of money in breeding birds, especially because you have to wait so long (until they mature),” Gonzalez said.

While his birds can go for as much as $12,000, depending on the popularity and rarity, Gonzalez said he makes most of his money on the sale of feed, toys and cages. He provides free grooming for the lifetime of every bird sold in his store as a way to bring customers back to purchase supplies.

Gonzalez has stepped back from the day-to-day operations of his stores and has turned his focus toward breeding and setting up more store franchises.

“The birds are my passion,” Gonzalez said.

“And I also get a lot of enjoyment in teaching people and seeing the franchise (arm of the business) take off.”

Related Links

Rachel Gonzales, a manager at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea introduces a new macaw to others in the store. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Carrie Hildreth of Orange shares some affection with Papaya, a curl crested aracari, at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. "I love you! I just want to take you home with me," she tells the bird. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Morgan Wilkinson, 17, of Brea, holds Gretchen, a 40-year-old umbrella cockatoo and the mascot of Omar's Exotic Birds, and laughs as the bird says, "Hello!" JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A cockatoos showboats for customers at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Brianna Montano, 23, of Brea regularly visits Omar's Exotic Birds just for fun. Her favorite birds are green-cheeked parakeet, like the one that agreed to sit on her arm. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A cockatiel plays in its cage at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Rachel Gonzales, a manager at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea introduces a new macaw to others in the store. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Birds mind their own business as shoppers miander through Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Rachel Gonzales, a manager at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea, holds a cockatiel in her left hand and a macaw in the right. The store stocks a variety of exotic avian species. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
This macaw was more interested in perching on the lens than posing for portraits with store staff at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A small flock of macaw, very social birds, interact with each other at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A small flock of macaw, very social birds, interact with each other at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A small flock of macaw, very social birds, interact with each other at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Macaw, very social birds, play with each other at Omar's Exotic Birds in Brea. JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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